Non-submission of 2nd JIT record in Model Town case annoys court

LAHORE:A seven-judge larger bench of the Lahore High Court Friday expressed displeasure over the provincial government for not submitting record relating to second Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted by the Punjab government to hold a fresh probe into 2014 Model Town incident.

Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan headed the bench with Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Justice Aalia Neelum, Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Asjad Javed Ghural and Justice Farooq Haider.

Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik, Additional Secretary Home Mubashir Zaidi, Acting Advocate General Shan Gul and Prosecutor General Punjab Arif Kamal Noon appeared before the bench. Advocates Azam Nazir Tarar and Burhan Moazzam Malik appeared to represent Khurram Rafiq and other police officials who challenged legitimacy of the second JIT.

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar and Advocate Azhar Siddique were also present on behalf of the victims of the incident and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers. The government officials submitted the JIT record; however, the bench found it incomplete and expressed serious displeasure over the conduct of the authorities.

The bench observed that it had been eight months but the government failed to prepare a complete report. Advocate Tarar told the bench that one of the senior lawyers of the petitioners Advocate Zahid Bokhari was not available due to health reasons. He said Mr Bokhari had tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to hospital. He requested the bench to adjourn hearing and pointed out that not a single adjournment had been sought from the petitioners’ side during the one year. Chief Justice Khan allowed the request and observed that the hearing would be held after summer vacation on September 9. He said the bench would decide the matter without any further delay by holding day-to-day hearing.

The bench gave last opportunity to the government to submit complete record relating to the JIT. On June 17, 2014, 14 people were killed and 100 others injured when police opened fire to disperse protesting activists of PAT during an “anti-encroachment” operation outside the residence of its chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri. The PAT had filed a private complaint before an anti-terrorism court against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and almost all federal and provincial cabinet of PML-N besides officials of police and district administration accusing them of killing its workers.